US And North Korea Tension Could Lead To Conflict That Wipes Out “Large Part Of Humanity” – Pope Francis

Pope Francis who is currently on a visit to Egypt has said he worries that the rising tensions between the United States and North Korea could lead to a wide military conflict that would wipe out a “large part of humanity.”

He called for renewed diplomacy using third-party intermediaries and for the United Nations to take a lead role in de-escalating tensions.

He said,

‘the situation has heated up too much. I always appeal for a solution through diplomatic means. It’s piecemeal but the pieces are getting larger, and are concentrated in places which were already hot. Today a wider war would destroy, I won’t say half of humanity, but a large part of humanity and culture. It would be terrible. I don’t think humanity today could bear it. Diplomacy is the best response in these times’.

Former Vice President Joe Biden has secured the delegates needed to win the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination on the first ballot at the August convention, crossing the threshold of 1,991 delegates.

Associated Press reported that Biden who took a commanding delegate lead in mid-March and after Vermont’s Senator Bernie Sanders dropped out of the race in early April, confirmed this in a statement released on Friday night.

The former Vice President under Barack Obama’s administration, tweeted;

Folks, tonight we secured the 1,991 delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination. I’m going to spend every day fighting to earn your vote so that, together, we can win the battle for the soul of this nation.

It was an honour to compete alongside one of the most talented groups of candidates the Democratic party has ever fielded and I am proud to say that we are going into this general election a united party.

The 78-year-old who served as Delaware’s Senator for decades before becoming United States vice president during Barack Obama’s administration, will be taking a shot at the presidency for the third time.

Obama had endorsed Biden in April, saying in a video that he had “all the qualities we need in a president right now”. President Trump on the other hand has disclosed that he is eager to take the fight to Mr Biden who he derides as “Sleepy Joe”.

The milestone comes as the nation faces compounding crises wrought by the Coronavirus pandemic, soaring unemployment and a wave of protests over racism and police brutality. Biden enters the November 2020 general election in a strong position, with polling showing him ahead in a number of key battleground states.

Why I Was Taken To White House Underground Bunker — Trump

United States President, Donald Trump, has spoken about his brief stay at the underground White House bunker, called Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC).

The facility serves as a shelter and communications center for U.S. Presidents and others in case of an emergency.

On Friday night, Donald Trump was taken to the bunker by the Secret Service when protesters of George Floyd’s death gathered outside the White House.

The American leader, wife and son were reportedly in the bunker for a little under an hour but Trump claims he went there for an “inspection” dismissing reports that it was for protection from the protesters..

“It was much more for the inspection. I was there for a tiny, little period of time. They said it would be a good time to go down and take a look because maybe sometime you’re going to need it”, he told Fox News Radio.

Trump reiterated his threat of military action in New York if the protests persist.

“If they don’t get their act straightened out I will solve it. I’ll solve it fast,” he said.

State Of Minnesota Files Civil Rights Charge Against State’s Police Department Over George Floyd Killing

The state of Minnesota on Tuesday June 2, filed a civil rights charge against the Minneapolis Police Department over the death of George Floyd.

Governor Tim Walz who made the announcement, said the state’s Department of Human Rights will also launch an investigation against the Minneapolis Police Department following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody last week.

He said the investigation into the police department’s policies, procedures and practices over the past 10 years will determine if the force has engaged in systemic discrimination toward people of color, and work out how to stop it. State Human Rights Commissioner Rebecca Lucero will lead the investigation.

Walz said;

“Silence is complicity. Minnesotans can expect our administration to use every tool at our disposal to deconstruct generations of systemic racism in our state.

“I think the thing I’m hearing from the protesters is: ‘We’re not watching and we don’t care what you say. We care what you do.”

Lucero’s department will seek an agreement from Minneapolis city leaders and the police department to immediately implement interim measures, followed by long-term measures to address systemic discrimination.

The announcement is coming five days after the Hennepin County Attorney filed criminal charges against Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis officer seen on now-viral video with his knee on Floyd’s neck. The three other officers on the scene of Floyd’s arrest have yet to face charges.

The FBI is also investigating whether police willfully deprived Floyd of his civil rights. The Department of Justice announced last week that they are also investigating whether Chauvin and the other officers violated federal civil rights laws.

It was further learnt that the Minneapolis Police Department has faced decades of allegations brutality and other discrimination against African Americans and other minorities, even within the department itself. Critics say its culture resists change, despite the elevation of Medaria Arradondo as its first black police chief in 2017.

Arradondo himself was among five black officers who sued the police department in 2007 over alleged discrimination in promotions, pay, and discipline.